Kim Jin-min-I (김진민)

Korean dramas carve a niche in Japan

Source | 2008/09/05 | Permalink |

The full force of the Korean Wave hit Japan in 2004. Four years later, the phenomenon known here as "hallyu" has succeeded in creating a comfortable niche for itself in the Japanese TV and music world.

In November, 2004, the initial frenzy clogged Narita Airport, as thousands of Bae Yong-joon fans flocked to welcome him to Japan, ten people were injured as the crowd outside his Tokyo hotel scrambled to get a peek at him. Today, the hallyu boom has evolved into a calmer, sustained and widespread interest in Korean pop culture that has increased the Japanese public's desire to better understand the customs, lifestyle and cuisine of their closest neighbor.

Of course, not everyone has rushed to ride the Korean Wave, but it has succeeded in widening the perceptions and perspectives of many. Here on the northern island of Hokkaido, where Korean TV dramas are especially popular, signs of the hallyu presence are everywhere. Ladies gently jostle each other out of the way to get at the wid...| More

Lee Dong-wook stars in "Sweet Life" a new MBC TV drama currently in production

Source | 2008/04/24 | Permalink |

Actor Lee Dong-wook (age: 27) returns to the small screen after a 2-year hiatus.

He will star in "Bitter Sweet Life", a special MBC weekend TV drama that is set to premiere on May 3, 2008 in the leading role. His co-star will be actress Oh Yeon-soo (age: 37). The show is a romance about how Joon-soo, the character that Lee Dong-wook will play, falls in love with a married woman whom he met by coincidence during a trip to Japan.

It would seem to be another TV drama about a scandalous affair but Lee Dong-wook offers a different take on the drama by emphasizing that "it's not story about a typical romance or extramarital affair". Yet, he didn't go into any details to elaborate on the differences. "If I reveal any aspect of the plot, it would be a major spoiler so I don't know what I can or cannot say about the show" he said. But he did drop a hint that the tagline in the "Sweet Life" synopsis that says, "There's a devil inside me", reveals something about his character.

While fil...| More